Windows fertilizes!

[#1]

I could have titled the thread differently, but I'm a gentleman! Every evening my name is in lights!

A few weeks back I'd noticed that several files and folders had duplicates, which I had not knowingly created. Having time just now, I used a duplicate finder, and shockingly there is a plethora of duplicates upwards on exactly the same paths.

It seems that Windows has included a muck spreader in my computer, but is there another explanation?

ideas, why the dups have arisen?

[#2]

Have you checked whether you have many files in /tmp or /temp or similar?

[#3]

Where are these files located? Windows often uses symbolic links to files and some duplicate finders aren't smart enough to realise that!

[#4]

Quick access and one drive sometimes add duplicate folders

i have both off

[#5]

Files were ordinary pics and docs, and as said were together in expected locations.

[#6]

I'll have to neuter QA and OD then! if they're such a breeding nuisance!

[#7]

is this what you are seeing https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/forum/odwork-odshare/onedrive-creating-duplicate-files/...

if that is the case this is a way to deal with it - not nice though - https://www.clonefileschecker.com/blog/remove-microsoft-onedrive-duplicate-files/

[#8]

@Oldjim I don't think so, as vast majority look like

[#9]

I am probably missiing something here but they are two different file names

What is creating files every month

[#10]

No, you're not missing anything, but there are others which are perfectly identical. It's tired old eye syndrome that struck.

[#11]

Simple check - change the name of one of the files and see if the other half of the pair changes too.

If so  @Browni  is right with the Symbolic Links.

[#12]

Or more likely you get a broken symbolic link - you need to hope that you have a hard-link.

[#13]

---

@Champnet wrote:

Simple check - change the name of one of the files and see if the other half of the pair changes too.

If so  @Browni  is right with the Symbolic Links.

---

I altered the original one of a pair by addition of a capital letter to the main body. The "duplicate" remains unchanged. Probably a useless move but I also did a restart after the name change.

[#14]

I thought Windows files are not case-sensitive or is that JUST DOS? 

[#15]

Its not, but Windows Server 2008+ has the option to enable this for NFS mounts.